The 10 countries with the fastest Internet speeds -- is yours on the list?

The Internet has become such a necessity for hundreds of millions of people worldwide, it is hard to believe that billions still live each day without scrolling through a Facebook feed or watching a YouTube video.

That said, a lot of the people that have Internet connection do not enjoy the speed offered by Internet service providers, especially in parts of the world where oligopolies rule the web pipes.

This is seen most commonly in America, where despite having the most people online (151 million) it still lacks the average speed to make it into the top 10. Even the UK -- marveled by the US for its competitive Internet speeds -- has missed the top 10 spot.

Here are the countries that made it into the list:

10. Finland

Finland noticed a large growth in Internet speeds this year, with a 33 percent increase. It is one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, with high quality of life and education, but lacks some of the peak speeds other countries in Europe and Asia reach.

9. Czech Republic

While some may still point to the Czech Republic as a ruin of a country, the truth is it is one of the fastest growing regions in Europe with high education and quality of life levels. The Internet isn’t bad either, with 12.3Mbps average speed.

8. Ireland

UK's neighboring region, Ireland has a growing technology sector and Internet speeds to match, with an average speed of 12.7Mbps. It has seen 24 percent growth in Internet speeds over the past year.

7. Latvia

Another region with a rather desolate past under the occupation of both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Latvia is starting to show a large amount of growth in all sectors. With an average Internet speed of 13Mbps, it takes the number one spot in East Europe.

6. Netherlands

Always one of the premier places for Internet dependency, The Netherlands has an average Internet speed of 14.2Mbps, a 15 percent increase on the previous year.

5. Switzerland

Another small European country with an impressive Internet speed, Switzerland managed to hit 14.5Mbps average, a 21 percent increase over the previous year.

4. Sweden

When it comes to Europe, Sweden has won the battle for average Internet speeds by a whisker, with 14.6Mbps average. Sweden has shown the most year-over-year growth with 34 percent improvement, 1 percent higher than neighboring country Finland.

3. Japan

Known for many decades as the digital capital with giants like Sony, Toshiba and Nintendo, Japan has fallen out of the limelight slightly with the growth of China. Even with the spotlight off the country, it still maintains strong Internet speeds with an average 15.2Mbps.

2. Hong Kong

The highest growing country for Internet speeds, Hong Kong hit an average of 16.8Mbps with 37 percent growth year-over-year.

1. South Korea

Still far and away the country with the fastest Internet speed, South Korea managed to hit 22.2Mbps, but that is only a 1.5 percent increase on last year’s numbers.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

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